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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

"■: BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



iconomic Circular No. 8 



issued February 25, 1914 



THE OFFSHORE FISHING GROUNDS OF NORTH CAROLINA.'^ 

As early as 1858 large catclies of blackfish or sea h&ss (Centropristes 
'Striatus) were taken on the banks along the South Carolina coast. 
?hese banks were definitely located and charted and for many years 
lave supplied a considerable percentage of the fish taken by vessel 
isheries of that State. To the existence of grounds of similar char- 
icter on the North Carolina coast one can find scarcely a reference, 
md practically nothing has been done to determine their location, 
jxtent, and resources. Attempts of the fishermen to develop them 
lave resulted in failure largely because of lack of adequate knowledge 
|:egarding them. In 1902 the United States Fisheries steamer Fish 
lawk located and charted the largest of these grounds. The infor- 
jnation gained was not placed in the hands of the local fishermen and 
lot until the last year (1913) was a determined eft'ort made to develop 
[ihem. 

For the purpose of determining their location, extent, and resources 
[ind to encourage their development, the Fish Hawk was detailed to 
phe United States Fisheries Laboratory at Beaufort, N. C, for a 
period of two months and on September 6, 1913, began a brief survey. 
Irhe results of this work and the success attendmg the efforts of the 
jishermen visitmg these grounds are encouraging. As on the South 
^arolina banks, the blackfish, or sea bass, is the principal fish taken. 

THE GROUNDS. 

The grounds supplying the largest and best blackfish and in greatest 
ibundance lie about 20 miles offshore in 13 J to 15^ fathoms of water, 
^hey are located along a rather definite regional line, approximately 
)arallel to the shore line. (See chart.) In addition to these there 
lire other grounds much closer to shore on which smaller blackfish 
ire taken.* 

a By Lewis RadeliSe, superintendent and director of the United States Fisheries Laboratorj-, Beaufort, 
,C. 

6 In the short space of time available for the work, it was impossible to make an exhaustive survey of 
Ihe grounds visited or to expend the survey to other localities in which blackfish are reported to liave 
een taken. 

27445^—14 



Ca-Iv ! Ay 



Following is a brief description of each of the grounds located or 
visited during the survey: 

Outei' Lookout Breakers ground. — This ground is m latitude 34° 21' 
N., longitude 76° 23' W. It is 2^ (nautical) miles NNE. \ E. of 




Chart of North CaroUna coast, showing fishnig grounds (stippled areas). 

Lookout Lightship; " 7^ miles SSE. f E. from buoy No. S off Look- 
out Breakers; 18 miles S. by E. f E. of Cape Lookout Light, and 24 
niUes southeast by south from the bell buoy on Beaufort Bar. It 

oin the latter part of October, 1913, the Lookout Lightship was moved \h miles S. by E. \ E.,from its 
former (charted) position, its present position being latitude 34" l,s' 24" N., longitude 7G° 24' 18" W. The 
bearing given is for the new posiliou. 






lies in 14f fathoms of water, deepening rather abruptly to 15 and 1(> 
fathoms along its edge. The bottom is shelly and sandy and appar- 
ently lacks the rich growth of corals, sponges, etc., found on the 
grounds to the westward. 

The blaclvfish caught on this bank were of large size and appeared 
to be abundant. The Fish Ilaivk fishuig intermittently for several 
hours took more than a hundred of these fish. During this time sev- 
eral red snappei-s {Lutianus hlackfordi) were hooked and two weighing 
19 and 23 pounds, respectively, were caught. Among the 20 species 
taken were the following food fishes: Grunts {Hsemulon jylumieri), red- 
mouthed grunts or tom tates (Bathystoma rimator), red porgy {Pa- 
grus pagrus), and large sailor's choice or spot-tailed pinfish (Diplodus 
liolbrooJcii) . Large trigger-fish (Balistes carolinensis) were common 
and large schools of hairy-backs (Opisthojiema oglinum) were ob- 
served in the vicinity. More surprismg was the presence of scallops, 
and from the numbers taken m the dredge they appear to have been 
quite common. This is believed to be the first record of their occur- 
rence in numbers at an offshore station on the North Carolina coast. 

On October 15, l-]- miles southeast hj east fi'om Lookout Breakers 
Buoy No. 8, excellent hand-lme fishing for blackfish obtamed. Ten 
of the largest taken weighed 22 pounds. On a later visit no fishing 
banks could be located. Whether a school of these fish was picked 
up on the first visit or whether the bank on which they were living 
was too small to be readily found was not determined. 

Beaufort offshore "fishing grounds." — The main bank lies in lati- 
tude 34° 19'"n., longitude 76° 59' W. It is 21 miles SSW. i W. of the 
bell buo}^ on Beaufort Bar, 21 J miles SE. by S. from the buoy at the 
entrance to Bogue Inlet, and 27 miles SE. by E. J E. of the entrance 
to New River Inlet. 

This is the largest fishing ground known on the coast. It is about 
4 miles long by 1| miles wide and lies m 13| to 14 fathoms of water. 
The bottom is of a coralline nature, and corals, sponges, mollusks, crus- 
taceans, together with a variety of other forms characteristic of a 
tropical coral reef, occur here. 

That there was a '^fishing gi'ound" in this region where blackfish 
were found in great abundance was known to the local fishermen, and 
those fortunate enough to find it on rare visits in this vicinity alwaj^s 
secured large catches of fish. Its exact location, however, was not 
known until charted b}" the Fish Hawk in 1902. In AprU, 1913, the 
position of one of these grounds was shown to local fishermen, and 
durmg the succeeding summer and fall a defhiite attempt to test its 
commercial possibilities was made, and two fishermen in a small motor 
boat visited it with sonle degree of regadarity. In a few hours' fishing 
on each visit they took fi-om 170 to 1,000 pounds of blackfish, or an 
average of 600 pounds per trip. During the survey the Fish Hawk 



always found excellent fishing on the grounds. On September 6 over 
400 blackfish were caught with hook and line during the periods not 
devoted to the regular survey work. These fish were of large size, 
excellent for marketing. Whenever the boat drifted off the grounds 
no more were taken. 

That there is a variety of fish life on this bank and the neighboring 
patches of coral is evidenced by the fact that 46 species have been 
reported. Among the food fishes the following have been taken, but 
not in sufficient numbers to indicate that they will be of commercial 
importance: Dolphins (CorijpTisena liippurus), squirrel-fish (Diplec- 
tr-um fortnosum) , bastard snapper {Rliomhoplites aurombens), hogfish 
{Qrthopristis chrysopterus) , grunt (Ilsemulon plumieri), red-mouthed 
grunt or torn tate {Batliy stoma rimator), sailor's choice or spot-tailed 
pinfish (Diplodus lioTbrookii) , red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), two species 
of porgies (Calamus sp.), and flounders (Paralichthys albiguttus). 

The FisJi Hawk worked around this bank and followed a zigzag 
course across the 15-fathom fine to a point more than 30 miles 
to the west-southwest, making occasional stops to search for other 
banks. During, this brief survey other banks or patches of rock 
where blackfish were found in comparative abundance or where the 
conditions were favorable to then- existence were located but not 
surveyed. These are indicated as numbered stations in the text 
and on the chart. 

Station 1. This bank lies about 2^ miles northwest of the "fishing 
grounds " in 15^ fathoms of water. The bottom is of a rough coralline 
nature, the growth of coral being sufficiently heavy to render the use 
of beam trawl difficult. From the bottom were taken corals, sponges, 
crustaceans, and mollusks. In 30 minutes' hand-line fishing, 150 
blackfish were taken. 

Station 2. This station ilies about 12 miles west-southwest of the 
"fishing grounds" and 22^ miles south of the buoy at the entrance 
of Bogue Inlet. It is covered by IG fathoms of water. Although 
only shells and sand were taken from the bottom, from the catch of 
fish it is befieved that a bank is to be found in the vicinity. That 
fishes were present in some numbers is evidenced by the fact that six 
species were taken and that hand-line fishing pelded about 50 
blackfish in 20 minutes' fishing. 

Station 3. This station is 22^ miles SW. by W. I W. of the "fishing 
grounds" and 23 miles S. ^ E. of the entrance to New River Inlet. 
On the bottom were sea fans, stony corals, aTid shells. A single 
dredge haul yielded blackfish, pinfish (Lagodon rhomhoides) , and 
ribbon-fish ( Eques acuminatus) . 

Station 4. This station is 26 miles S. by W. | W. of the entrance to 
New Eiver Inlet. It lies in 14J fathoms of water. Coral and shells 



were taken from the bottom and a single haul of the dredge yielded 
eight different kinds of fish. This is in striking contrast to the catch 
at stations where blackfish grounds did not exist and indicates their 
presence here. Hand lines were not used. 

Of the total number of stations or points where dredge hauls 
were made to determine the character of the bottom in this region, 
only a third are contained within the areas represented on the chart. 
Nearly all the others were outside the general area m which these 
fishing banks Ue, either in shallower or deeper water. This lends 
credence to the belief that a thorough survey along the line indicated 
will disclose other gi-ounds; that the fishermen may expect to catch 
blackfish at many pomts along this area lying in depths of 13^ to 15| 
fathoms of water, and it seems not improbable that other banks 
may be found scattered along the coast, possibly throughout the 
entire length down to the ones off Charleston. The fish may work 
from bank to bank in search of food. 

New River fishing grounds. — This is one of the grounds relatively 
close to shore, lying in 4^ to 6| fathoms of water off the mouth of 
New River Inlet. In places the bottom is rocky. A comparatively 
heavy growth of seaweeds, with sponges (mostly of the finger type), 
and other forms were found to be growing on the bottom. This 
ground is reported to have been fished from time to time. As high as 
500 pounds of blackfish were taken in one day's fishing in November. 
At a point one-half of a mile south by east from the mouth of the 
inlet, the Fish Hawk took 25 blackfish in 10 mmutes' fishing. As at 
other banks near shore, the blackfish are smaller than on the offshore 
grounds. Rudder-fish (Seriola carolinensis) , grunts (Hsemulon 
plumieri), scup (Stenotomus aculeatus) , and spot-tailed pinfish 
( Diplodus holhrookii) occur here. 

Cape Fear grounds. — This ground surrounds the whistle buoy off 
the mouth of the Cape Fear River and extends for at least 3 miles to 
the SE. ^ E. of this point. It lies in 7 to 7^ fathoms of water. On 
the bottom seaweed, sponges, corals, and other forms characteristic 
of the fishing grounds were found. This ground is reported to have 
furnished good fisliing in the past. The Fish Hawlc took blackfish, 
ribbon-fish, scup, and other forms. 

Mud hanlcs ojf the mouth of Cape Fear River. — On the mud flats 
off the mouth of Cape Fear River, in 3^ to 5 fathoms of water, fishes 
and shrimp were found to be very abundant. The area visited is 
mdicated on the chart by a dotted line. Here young trout {Cynoscion 
regalis) , cvo&\icrs ( Micropogonundulatus) , sipot {Leiostomus xanthurus), 
white perch {Bairdieila chrysura), a rare drum (Stellifer lanceolatus), 
and flounders (Paralichthys lethostigmus) , together with sluimp of 
lai^e size, were taken in abundance. 



COMMERCIAL ASPECT OF THE BLACKFISH GROUNDS. 

With the data at hand it is impossible to determine how large a 
fishing industry these grounds will support. The results of this brief 
survey, the reported existence of other grounds off Frying Pan Shoals 
and to the westward, and the fact that more than 15,000 pounds of 
blackfish were taken from the Beaufort ''fishing grounds" this year 
indicate that with further development the prospects of success are 
not without foundation. If the grounds are found to be anywhere 
near as extensive as those off Charleston, North Carolina possesses a 
fishery resource worthy of immediate development. 

In this connection it may be well to call attention to the value 
of the blackfish or sea-bass industry to South Carolina fishermen, 
the conditions apparently being not unlike those on the North Caro- 
lina coast. In the special report of the Du'ector of the Bureau of the 
Census on the Fisheries of the United States for 1908, page 239, the 
following extract on this fishery in South Carolina appears: ''The 
value of the sea bass taken in the vessel fisheries, however, consti- 
tuted 25 per cent of the total value of products and 77 per cent of 
the value of the fish proper reported for such fisheries. The bulk of 
the product was taken in the vessel fisheries with lines. The follow- 
ing tabular statement gives statistics of the sea-bass product for those 
years for which figures are available: 

Catch op Sea Bass on South Carolina Grounds in Given Years. 





Years. 


Sea-bass products. 




Quanitty. 


Value. 


1908 




Pounds. 
491,001 
TUO.OOO 
632,000 
826,000 
889, 000 


$22,000 


1902 


27,000 


1897 


26,000 


1890 


26,000 


1887 


29,000 







CONCLUSION. 

This fishery possesses certain featm'es which should recommend it 
to the fishermen of North CaroUna. It can be conducted in the 
winter time, out of the regular fishing season, at a time when the 
market supply of this fish is Umited and therefore when the species 
will bring the highest market price. In fact, it is believed that it will 
be to the advantage of the fishermen to abandon the fishery during 
the spruig and summer season when the prices of this fish are lowest. 

The fishermen will find it essential to have permanent buoys placed 
on the offshore grounds, thus ehminatmg the present difficulties in 
locatmg them on each trip. 

It is beheved that a more exhaustive sm'vey, especially in ihe 
region off Frying Pan vShoals and to the westward, may disclose stUl 
other grounds, extending the present scope of the industry. 

o 



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